MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society' source. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:31:55 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5655105&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22296522%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Boleij A, Tjalsma H Abstract A healthy human body contains at least tenfold more bacterial cells than human cells and the most abundant and diverse microbial community resides in the intestinal tract. Intestinal health is not only maintained by the human intestine itself and by dietary factors, but is also largely supported by this resident microbial community. Conversely, however, a large body of evidence supports a relationship between bacteria, bacterial activities and human colorectal cancer. Symbiosis in this multifaceted organ is thus crucial to maintain a healthy balance within the host-diet-microbiota triangle and accordingly, changes in any of these three factors may drive a healthy situation into a state of disease. In this review, the factors that sustain health... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5655105 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5655105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5636853&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22272640%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tscharntke T, Tylianakis JM, Rand TA, Didham RK, Fahrig L, Batáry P, Bengtsson J, Clough Y, Crist TO, Dormann CF, Ewers RM, Fründ J, Holt RD, Holzschuh A, Klein AM, Kleijn D, Kremen C, Landis DA, Laurance W, Lindenmayer D, Scherber C, Sodhi N, Steffan-Dewenter I, Thies C, van der Putten WH, Westphal C Abstract Understanding how landscape characteristics affect biodiversity patterns and ecological processes at local and landscape scales is critical for mitigating effects of global environmental change. In this review, we use knowledge gained from human-modified landscapes to suggest eight hypotheses, which we hope will encourage more systematic research on the role of landscape composition and configuration in determining the structure of ecological communities, ecosystem... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5636853 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5636853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5576659&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22221879%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lorenzen K, Beveridge MC, Mangel M Abstract Fish aquaculture for commodity production, fisheries enhancement and conservation is expanding rapidly, with many cultured species undergoing inadvertent or controlled domestication. Cultured fish are frequently released, accidentally and deliberately, into natural environments where they may survive well and impact on wild fish populations through ecological, genetic, and technical interactions. Impacts of fish released accidentally or for fisheries enhancement tend to be negative for the wild populations involved, particularly where wild populations are small, and/or highly adapted to local conditions, and/or declining. Captive breeding and supplementation can play a positive role in restoring threatened populations, but the bi... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5576659 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5576659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5544637&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22188434%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jürgens A, Sciligo A, Witt T, El-Sayed AM, Suckling DM Abstract Most carnivorous plants utilize insects in two ways: the flowers attract insects as pollen vectors for sexual reproduction, and the leaves trap insects for nutrients. Feeding on insects has been explained as an adaptation to nutrient-poor soil, and carnivorous plants have been shown to benefit from insect capture through increased growth, earlier flowering and increased seed production. Most carnivorous plant species seem to benefit from insect pollination, although many species autonomously self-pollinate and some propagate vegetatively. However, assuming that outcross pollen is advantageous and is a more important determinant of reproductive success than the nutrients gained from prey, there should be a sel... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5544637 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5544637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5544636&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22188485%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Morrow EH, Innocenti P Abstract Females in many taxa experience postmating activation of their immune system, independently of any genital trauma or pathogenic attack arising from male-female genital contact. This response has always been interpreted as a product of natural selection as it either prepares the female immune system for antigens arising from an implanted embryo (in the case of placental mammals), or is a "pre-emptive strike" against infection or injury acquired during mating. While the first hypothesis has empirical support, the second is not entirely satisfactory. Recently, studies that have experimentally dissected the postmating responses of Drosophila melanogaster females point to a different explanation: male reproductive peptides/proteins that have evol... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5544636 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5544636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5526219&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22171805%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wilkinson DM, Ruxton GD Abstract There has been recent discussion about the evolutionary pressures underlying the long necks of extant giraffes and extinct sauropod dinosaurs. Here we summarise these debates and place them in a wider taxonomic context. We consider the evolution of long necks across a wide range of (both living and extinct) taxa and ask whether there has been a common selective factor or whether each case has a separate explanation. We conclude that in most cases long necks can be explained in terms of foraging requirements, and that alternative explanations in terms of sexual selection, thermoregulation and predation pressure are not as well supported. Specifically, in giraffe, tortoises, and perhaps sauropods there is likely to have been selection for hig... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5526219 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5526219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5526220&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22151821%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ultsch GR Abstract The giant salamanders are aquatic and paedomorphic urodeles including the genera Andrias and Cryptobranchus (Cryptobranchidae), Amphiuma (Amphiumidae), Siren (Sirenidae), and Necturus (Proteidae, of which only N. maculosus is considered 'a giant'). Species in the genera Cryptobranchus and Necturus are considered aquatic salamanders well adapted for breathing water, poorly adapted for breathing air, and with limited abilities to compensate acid-base disturbances. As such, they are water-breathing animals with a somewhat fish-like respiratory and acid-base physiology, whose habitat selection is limited to waters that do not typically become hypoxic or hypercarbic (although this assertion has been questioned for N. maculosus). Siren and Amphiuma species, by... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5526220 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5526220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5526221&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22129434%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carnicer J, Brotons L, Stefanescu C, Peñuelas J Abstract Here we review how adaptive traits contribute to the emergence and maintenance of species richness gradients through their influence on demographic and diversification processes. We start by reviewing how demographic dynamics change along species richness gradients. Empirical studies show that geographical clines in population parameters and measures of demographic variability are frequent along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. Demographic variability often increases at the extremes of regional species richness gradients and contributes to shape these gradients. Available studies suggest that adaptive traits significantly influence demographic dynamics, and set the limits of species distributions. Traits relat... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5526221 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5526221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5437148&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22098594%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hadley AS, Betts MG Abstract Animal-mediated pollination is essential for both ecosystem services and conservation of global biodiversity, but a growing body of work reveals that it is negatively affected by anthropogenic disturbance. Landscape-scale disturbance results in two often inter-related processes: (1) habitat loss, (2) disruptions of habitat configuration (i.e. fragmentation). Understanding the relative effects of such processes is critical in designing effective management strategies to limit pollination and pollinator decline. We reviewed existing published work from 1989 to 2009 and found that only six of 303 studies considering the influence of landscape context on pollination separated the effects of habitat loss from fragmentation. We provide a synthesis of... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5437148 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5437148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5437147&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22098619%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McCluney KE, Belnap J, Collins SL, González AL, Hagen EM, Nathaniel Holland J, Kotler BP, Maestre FT, Smith SD, Wolf BO Abstract Species interactions play key roles in linking the responses of populations, communities, and ecosystems to environmental change. For instance, species interactions are an important determinant of the complexity of changes in trophic biomass with variation in resources. Water resources are a major driver of terrestrial ecology and climate change is expected to greatly alter the distribution of this critical resource. While previous studies have documented strong effects of global environmental change on species interactions in general, responses can vary from region to region. Dryland ecosystems occupy more than one-third of the Earth's land mas... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5437147 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5437147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5412446&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22051057%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Letnic M, Ritchie EG, Dickman CR Abstract Top-order predators often have positive effects on biological diversity owing to their key functional roles in regulating trophic cascades and other ecological processes. Their loss has been identified as a major factor contributing to the decline of biodiversity in both aquatic and terrestrial systems. Consequently, restoring and maintaining the ecological function of top predators is a critical global imperative. Here we review studies of the ecological effects of the dingo Canis lupus dingo, Australia's largest land predator, using this as a case study to explore the influence of a top predator on biodiversity at a continental scale. The dingo was introduced to Australia by people at least 3500 years ago and has an ambiguous sta... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5412446 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5412446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5412445&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22051097%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Layman CA, Araujo MS, Boucek R, Hammerschlag-Peyer CM, Harrison E, Jud ZR, Matich P, Rosenblatt AE, Vaudo JJ, Yeager LA, Post DM, Bearhop S Abstract Stable isotope analysis has emerged as one of the primary means for examining the structure and dynamics of food webs, and numerous analytical approaches are now commonly used in the field. Techniques range from simple, qualitative inferences based on the isotopic niche, to Bayesian mixing models that can be used to characterize food-web structure at multiple hierarchical levels. We provide a comprehensive review of these techniques, and thus a single reference source to help identify the most useful approaches to apply to a given data set. We structure the review around four general questions: (1) what is the trophic position... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5412445 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5412445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5376856&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22032243%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Eggermont H, Heiri O Abstract Fossils of chironomid larvae (non-biting midges) preserved in lake sediments are well-established palaeotemperature indicators which, with the aid of numerical chironomid-based inference models (transfer functions), can provide quantitative estimates of past temperature change. This approach to temperature reconstruction relies on the strong relationship between air and lake surface water temperature and the distribution of individual chironomid taxa (species, species groups, genera) that has been observed in different climate regions (arctic, subarctic, temperate and tropical) in both the Northern and Southern hemisphere. A major complicating factor for the use of chironomids for palaeoclimate reconstruction which increases the uncertainty as... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5376856 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5376856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5376855&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22032263%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lyman RL Abstract It has been argued by some neozoologists (those who study living animals) that the palaeozoological record is biased and incomplete (relative to an existing biological community) and therefore should not be consulted for purposes of conservation biology. An article published in a biology journal in 2011 lists numerous reasons why natural history collections (NHCs) of skins and skulls of animals collected over the past century or two are exceptionally valuable to conservation biologists because those collections provide significant time depth to numerous variables that document global biological change. Many of those same variables can be, and have been, identified in the palaeozoological record. Those variables are of major value to conservation biology, ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5376855 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5376855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5309363&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21981025%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dantzer B, Swanson EM Abstract Life-history traits describe parameters associated with growth, size, survival, and reproduction. Life-history variation is a hallmark of biological diversity, yet researchers commonly observe that one of the major axes of life-history variation after controlling for body size involves trade-offs among growth, reproduction, and longevity. This persistent pattern of covariation among these specific traits has engendered a search for shared mechanisms that could constrain or facilitate production of variation in life-history strategies. Endocrine traits are one candidate mechanism that may underlie the integration of life history and other phenotypic traits. However, the vast majority of this research has been on the effects of steroid hormones... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5309363 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5309363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5240929&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21923637%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Friess DA, Krauss KW, Horstman EM, Balke T, Bouma TJ, Galli D, Webb EL Abstract Intertidal wetlands such as saltmarshes and mangroves provide numerous important ecological functions, though they are in rapid and global decline. To better conserve and restore these wetland ecosystems, we need an understanding of the fundamental natural bottlenecks and thresholds to their establishment and long-term ecological maintenance. Despite inhabiting similar intertidal positions, the biological traits of these systems differ markedly in structure, phenology, life history, phylogeny and dispersal, suggesting large differences in biophysical interactions. By providing the first systematic comparison between saltmarshes and mangroves, we unravel how the interplay between species-specifi... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5240929 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5240929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5240928&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21929567%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: O'Day DH, Keszei A Abstract The social amoebozoans have a life tricycle consisting of asexual multicellular development leading to fruiting bodies, sexual multicellular development resulting in macrocysts, and unicellular development generating microcysts. This review covers the events of sexual development in the best-studied heterothallic (Dictyostelium discoideum) and homothallic (D. mucoroides) mating systems. Sexual development begins with pheromonal interactions that produce fusion-competent cells (gametes) which undergo cell and pronuclear fusion. Calcium- and calmodulin-mediated signalling mediates these early events. As they initiate chemotactic signalling, each zygote increases in size becoming a zygote giant cell. Using cyclic AMP (cAMP), the zygote chemotactica... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5240928 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5240928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5240927&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21929714%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, some aspects of New Zealand's vegetation seem less unusual with increased knowledge, but others remain 'problems'. PMID: 21929714 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society) Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5240927 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5240927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5240926&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21929715%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bonte D, Van Dyck H, Bullock JM, Coulon A, Delgado M, Gibbs M, Lehouck V, Matthysen E, Mustin K, Saastamoinen M, Schtickzelle N, Stevens VM, Vandewoestijne S, Baguette M, Barton K, Benton TG, Chaput-Bardy A, Clobert J, Dytham C, Hovestadt T, Meier CM, Palmer SC, Turlure C, Travis JM Abstract Dispersal costs can be classified into energetic, time, risk and opportunity costs and may be levied directly or deferred during departure, transfer and settlement. They may equally be incurred during life stages before the actual dispersal event through investments in special morphologies. Because costs will eventually determine the performance of dispersing individuals and the evolution of dispersal, we here provide an extensive review on the different cost types that occur during di... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5240926 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5240926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5240925&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21929739%26dopt%3DAbstract We present a new synthesis for how these fundamental traits may affect the molecular mechanisms of regeneration at the tissue, cellular, and genomic levels of biological organization. Future studies that explore regeneration in organisms across a broad phylogenetic scale, and within an ontogenetic framework, will help elucidate the proximate mechanisms that modulate regeneration and may reveal new biomedical applications for use in regenerative medicine. PMID: 21929739 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society) Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5240925 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5240925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5189053&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21883867%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hunter RH Abstract Recalling the evolutionary sequence of development first of gonad and subsequently of oviducts, ovarian endocrine regulation of all known components of oviduct physiology is reviewed. Ovaries not only influence oviducts via the systemic blood circulation, but also locally by counter-current transfer of relatively high concentrations of steroid hormones and prostaglandins between the ovarian vein and oviduct branch of the ovarian artery. The efficiency and impact of such counter-current transfer is greatest around the time of ovulation, the transfer process receiving further inputs from hormones present in peritoneal fluid. Classical oviduct physiology is summarised, and the potential molecular consequences of temperature gradients within the duct lumen e... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5189053 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5189053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5147408&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21815988%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hyde MJ, Mostyn A, Modi N, Kemp PR Since the first mention of fetal programming of adult health and disease, a plethora of programming events in early life has been suggested. These have included intrauterine and postnatal events, but limited attention has been given to the potential contribution of the birth process to normal physiology and long-term health. Over the last 30 years a growing number of studies have demonstrated that babies born at term by vaginal delivery (VD) have significantly different physiology at birth to those born by Caesarean section (CS), particularly when there has been no exposure to labour, i.e. pre-labour CS (PLCS). This literature is reviewed here and the processes involved in VD that might programme post-natal development are discussed. Some of ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5147408 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5147408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5089902&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21801299%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the potential importance of measure theory in biological sciences in considered. PMID: 21801299 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society) Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5089902 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5089902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5089903&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21790949%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hawkins GL, Hill GE, Mercadante A Delayed plumage maturation is the delayed acquisition of a definitive colour and pattern of plumage until after the first potential breeding period in birds. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of the numerous studies of delayed plumage maturation and a revised theoretical framework for understanding the function of delayed plumage maturation in all birds. We first distinguish between hypotheses that delayed plumage maturation is attributable to a moult constraint with no adaptive function and hypotheses that propose that delayed plumage maturation is a component of an adaptive life-history strategy associated with delayed reproductive investment. We then recognize three potential benefits of delayed plumage maturation: crypsis, mimicry a... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5089903 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5089903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5089904&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21781233%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Burnside WR, Brown JH, Burger O, Hamilton MJ, Moses M, Bettencourt LM Humans have a dual nature. We are subject to the same natural laws and forces as other species yet dominate global ecology and exhibit enormous variation in energy use, cultural diversity, and apparent social organization. We suggest scientists tackle these challenges with a macroecological approach-using comparative statistical techniques to identify deep patterns of variation in large datasets and to test for causal mechanisms. We show the power of a metabolic perspective for interpreting these patterns and suggesting possible underlying mechanisms, one that focuses on the exchange of energy and materials within and among human societies and with the biophysical environment. Examples on human foraging ecol... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5089904 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5089904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5039067&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21740503%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Byrne PG, Dale Roberts J Among anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), there are two types of polyandry: simultaneous polyandry, where sperm from multiple males compete to fertilize eggs, and sequential polyandry, where eggs from a single female are fertilized by multiple males in a series of temporally separate mating events, and sperm competition is absent. Here we review the occurrence of sequential polyandry in anuran amphibians, outline theoretical explanations for the evolution of this mating system and discuss potential evolutionary implications. Sequential polyandry has been reported in a limited number of anurans, but its widespread taxonomic and geographic distribution suggests it may be common. There have been no empirical studies that have explicitly investigated the ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5039067 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5039067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5039068&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21733078%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Benson RB, Butler RJ, Carrano MT, O'Connor PM Pneumatic (air-filled) postcranial bones are unique to birds among extant tetrapods. Unambiguous skeletal correlates of postcranial pneumaticity first appeared in the Late Triassic (approximately 210 million years ago), when they evolved independently in several groups of bird-line archosaurs (ornithodirans). These include the theropod dinosaurs (of which birds are extant representatives), the pterosaurs, and sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Postulated functions of skeletal pneumatisation include weight reduction in large-bodied or flying taxa, and density reduction resulting in energetic savings during foraging and locomotion. However, the influence of these hypotheses on the early evolution of pneumaticity has not been studied in detail... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5039068 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5039068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4996774&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21707908%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hendrix CS, Gleditsch KS Letendre, Fincher & Thornhill (2010) argue that pathogen intensity provides the ultimate explanation for why some countries are more prone to civil war than others. They argue that the economic and political factors highlighted in previous research on civil war are largely caused by underlying differences in pathogen intensity, and contend that disease proneness increases the risk of civil war through its effects on resource competition and xenophobia. They present empirical evidence that they interpret as consistent with their argument: a statistically significant correlation between pathogen intensity and civil war onset. In this comment, we raise concerns over their interpretation of the empirical evidence and their proposed causal mechanisms. W... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4996774 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4996774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4996775&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21692965%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Götzenberger L, de Bello F, Anne Bråthen K, Davison J, Dubuis A, Guisan A, Lepš J, Lindborg R, Moora M, Pärtel M, Pellissier L, Pottier J, Vittoz P, Zobel K, Zobel M Understanding how communities of living organisms assemble has been a central question in ecology since the early days of the discipline. Disentangling the different processes involved in community assembly is not only interesting in itself but also crucial for an understanding of how communities will behave under future environmental scenarios. The traditional concept of assembly rules reflects the notion that species do not co-occur randomly but are restricted in their co-occurrence by interspecific competition. This concept can be redefined in a more general framework where the co-occurrence of species is a... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4996775 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4996775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4996777&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21682836%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gallo A, Locatelli F Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are enzymes that convert adenosine (A) to inosine (I) in nuclear-encoded RNAs and viral RNAs. The activity of ADARs has been demonstrated to be essential in mammals and serves to fine-tune different proteins and modulate many molecular pathways. Recent findings have shown that ADAR activity is altered in many pathological tissues. Moreover, it has been shown that modulation of RNA editing is important for cell proliferation and migration, and has a protective effect on ischaemic insults. This review summarises available recent knowledge on A-to-I RNA editing and ADAR enzymes, with particular attention given to the emerging role played by these enzymes in cancer, some infectious diseases and immune-mediated disorde... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4996777 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4996777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4996776&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21682837%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lovegrove BG The evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals was one of the most important events in the evolution of the vertebrates. Past tests of hypotheses on the evolution of endothermy in mammals have relied largely on analyses of the relationship between basal and maximum metabolic rate, and artificial selection experiments. I argue that components of existing hypotheses, as well as new hypotheses, can be tested using an alternative macrophysiological modeling approach by examining the development of endothermy during the Cenozoic. Recent mammals display a 10°C range in body temperature which is sufficiently large to identify the selective forces that have driven the development of endothermy from a plesiomorphic (ancestral) Cretaceous or Jurassic condition. A model i... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4996776 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4996776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4897730&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21635684%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tanentzap AJ, Coomes DA Large mammalian herbivores manifest a strong top-down control on ecosystems that can transform entire landscapes, but their impacts have not been reviewed in the context of terrestrial carbon storage. Here, we evaluate the effects of plant biomass consumption by large mammalian herbivores (>10 kg adult biomass), and the responses of ecosystems to these herbivores, on carbon stocks in temperate and tropical regions, and the Arctic. We calculate the difference in carbon stocks resulting from herbivore exclusion using the results of 108 studies from 52 vegetation types. Our estimates suggest that herbivores can reduce terrestrial above- and below-ground carbon stocks across vegetation types but reductions in carbon stocks may approach zero given suffici... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4897730 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4897730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4897738&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21631700%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bennett AJ, Bending GD, Chandler D, Hilton S, Mills P There is a trend world-wide to grow crops in short rotation or in monoculture, particularly in conventional agriculture. This practice is becoming more prevalent due to a range of factors including economic market trends, technological advances, government incentives, and retailer and consumer demands. Land-use intensity will have to increase further in future in order to meet the demands of growing crops for both bioenergy and food production, and long rotations may not be considered viable or practical. However, evidence indicates that crops grown in short rotations or monoculture often suffer from yield decline compared to those grown in longer rotations or for the first time. Numerous factors have been hypothesised as c... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4897738 Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4897738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4851234&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21557798%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kausrud K, Okland B, Skarpaas O, Grégoire JC, Erbilgin N, Stenseth NC In recent decades we have seen rapid and co-occurring changes in landscape structure, species distributions and even climate as consequences of human activity. Such changes affect the dynamics of the interaction between major forest pest species, such as bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), and their host trees. Normally breeding mostly in broken or severely stressed spruce; at high population densities some bark beetle species can colonise and kill healthy trees on scales ranging from single trees in a stand to multi-annual landscape-wide outbreaks. In Eurasia, the largest outbreaks are caused by the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (Linnaeus), which is common and shares a wide distribu... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4851234 Tue, 10 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4851234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798102&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21545390%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Slatyer RA, Mautz BS, Backwell PR, Jennions MD The consequences of polyandry for female fitness are controversial. Sexual conflict studies and a meta-analysis of mating rates in insects suggest that there is a longevity cost when females mate repeatedly. Even so, compensatory material benefits can elevate egg production and fertility, partly because polyandry ensures an adequate sperm supply. Polyandry can therefore confer direct benefits. The main controversy surrounds genetic benefits. The argument is analogous to that surrounding the evolution of conventional female mate choice, except that with polyandry it is post-copulatory mechanisms that might bias paternity towards males with higher breeding values for fitness. Recent meta-analyses of extra-pair copulations in birds h... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798102 Wed, 04 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798107&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21489122%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Billiard S, López-Villavicencio M, Devier B, Hood ME, Fairhead C, Giraud T The advantage of sex has been among the most debated issues in biology. Surprisingly, the question of why sexual reproduction generally requires the combination of distinct gamete classes, such as small and large gametes, or gametes with different mating types, has been much less investigated. Why do systems with alternative gamete classes (i.e. systems with either anisogamy or mating types or both) appear even though they restrict the probability of finding a compatible mating partner? Why does the number of gamete classes vary from zero to thousands, with most often only two classes? We review here the hypotheses proposed to explain the origin, maintenance, number, and loss of gamete classes. We argu... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798107 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798103&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21507194%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee JJ, Constantino PJ, Lucas PW, Lawn BR Teeth are brittle and highly susceptible to cracking. We propose that observations of such cracking can be used as a diagnostic tool for predicting bite force and inferring tooth function in living and fossil mammals. Laboratory tests on model tooth structures and extracted human teeth in simulated biting identify the principal fracture modes in enamel. Examination of museum specimens reveals the presence of similar fractures in a wide range of vertebrates, suggesting that cracks extended during ingestion or mastication. The use of 'fracture mechanics' from materials engineering provides elegant relations for quantifying critical bite forces in terms of characteristic tooth size and enamel thickness. The role of enamel microstructure i... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798103 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798104&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21492379%26dopt%3DAbstract We present a complete phylogeny of macroperforate planktonic foraminifer species of the Cenozoic Era (∼65 million years ago to present). The phylogeny is developed from a large body of palaeontological work that details the evolutionary relationships and stratigraphic (time) distributions of species-level taxa identified from morphology ('morphospecies'). Morphospecies are assigned to morphogroups and ecogroups depending on test morphology and inferred habitat, respectively. Because gradual evolution is well documented in this clade, we have identified many instances of morphospecies intergrading over time, allowing us to eliminate 'pseudospeciation' and 'pseudoextinction' from the record and thereby permit the construction of a more natural phylogeny based on inferred biological lineage... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798104 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798106&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21489123%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Knudsen E, Lindén A, Both C, Jonzén N, Pulido F, Saino N, Sutherland WJ, Bach LA, Coppack T, Ergon T, Gienapp P, Gill JA, Gordo O, Hedenström A, Lehikoinen E, Marra PP, Møller AP, Nilsson AL, Péron G, Ranta E, Rubolini D, Sparks TH, Spina F, Studds CE, Saether SA, Tryjanowski P, Chr Stenseth N Recent shifts in phenology in response to climate change are well established but often poorly understood. Many animals integrate climate change across a spatially and temporally dispersed annual life cycle, and effects are modulated by ecological interactions, evolutionary change and endogenous control mechanisms. Here we assess and discuss key statements emerging from the rapidly developing study of changing spring phenology in migratory birds. These well-studied organisms have be... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798106 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4798105&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21489124%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fernandez-Costa JM, Llamusi MB, Garcia-Lopez A, Artero R Regulated use of exons in pre-mRNAs, a process known as alternative splicing, strongly contributes to proteome diversity. Alternative splicing is finely regulated by factors that bind specific sequences within the precursor mRNAs. Members of the Muscleblind (Mbl) family of splicing factors control critical exon use changes during the development of specific tissues, particularly heart and skeletal muscle. Muscleblind homologs are only found in metazoans from Nematoda to mammals. Splicing targets and recognition mechanisms are also conserved through evolution. In this recognition, Muscleblind CCCH-type zinc finger domains bind to intronic motifs in pre-mRNA targets in which the protein can either activate or repress splic... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4798105 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4798105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4692940&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21443614%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cieslak M, Reissmann M, Hofreiter M, Ludwig A During the last decade, coat colouration in mammals has been investigated in numerous studies. Most of these studies addressing the genetics of coat colouration were on domesticated animals. In contrast to their wild ancestors, domesticated species are often characterized by a huge allelic variability of coat-colour-associated genes. This variability results from artificial selection accepting negative pleiotropic effects linked with certain coat-colour variants. Recent studies demonstrate that this selection for coat-colour phenotypes started at the beginning of domestication. Although to date more than 300 genetic loci and more than 150 identified coat-colour-associated genes have been discovered, which influence pigmentation in ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4692940 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4692940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4634848&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21418504%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Damuth J, Janis CM High-crowned (hypsodont) teeth are widely found among both extant and extinct mammalian herbivores. Extant grazing ungulates (hoofed mammals) have hypsodont teeth (a derived condition), and so extinct hypsodont forms have usually been presumed to have been grazers. Thus, hypsodonty among ungulates has, over the past 150 years, formed the basis of widespread palaeoecological interpretations, and has figured prominently in the evolutionary study of the spread of grasslands in the mid Cenozoic. However, perceived inconsistencies between levels of hypsodonty and dental wear patterns in both extant and extinct ungulates have caused some workers to reject hypsodonty as a useful predictive tool in palaeobiology, a view that we consider both misguided and premature.... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4634848 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4634848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4634849&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21414127%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kelly CD, Jennions MD Multiple mating or group spawning leads to post-copulatory sexual selection, which generally favours ejaculates that are more competitive under sperm competition. In four meta-analyses we quantify the evidence that sperm competition (SC) favours greater sperm number using data from studies of strategic ejaculation. Differential investment into each ejaculate emerges at the individual level if males exhibit phenotypic plasticity in ejaculate properties in response to the likely risk and/or intensity of sperm competition after a given mating. Over the last twenty years, a series of theoretical models have been developed that predict how ejaculate size will be strategically adjusted in relation to: (a) the number of immediate rival males, with a distinction ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4634849 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4634849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517575&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21314888%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Boender AJ, Roubos EW, van der Velde G A central goal in Life Sciences is to understand how genes encode behaviour and how environmental factors influence the expression of the genes concerned. To reach this goal a combined ecological, molecular biological and physiological approach is required in combination with a suitable model organism. Such an approach allows the elucidation of all parts of the complicated chain of events that lead from induction of gene expression to behaviour, i.e. from environmental stimulus, sensory organs and extracellular and intracellular neuronal signal processing to activation of effector organs. A particularly good model species with which to take this approach is the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, as it has been described in great detail at t... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517575 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4517575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4393002&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21251189%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sander PM, Christian A, Clauss M, Fechner R, Gee CT, Griebeler EM, Gunga HC, Hummel J, Mallison H, Perry SF, Preuschoft H, Rauhut OW, Remes K, Tütken T, Wings O, Witzel U The herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were the largest terrestrial animals ever, surpassing the largest herbivorous mammals by an order of magnitude in body mass. Several evolutionary lineages among Sauropoda produced giants with body masses in excess of 50 metric tonnes by conservative estimates. With body mass increase driven by the selective advantages of large body size, animal lineages will increase in body size until they reach the limit determined by the interplay of bauplan, biology, and resource availability. There is no evidence, however, that resource availabili... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4393002 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:45:09 +0100 4393002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4393003&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21223481%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kilner RM, Langmore NE Avian parents and social insect colonies are victimized by interspecific brood parasites-cheats that procure costly care for their dependent offspring by leaving them in another species' nursery. Birds and insects defend themselves from attack by brood parasites; their defences in turn select counter-strategies in the parasite, thus setting in motion antagonistic co-evolution between the two parties. Despite their considerable taxonomic disparity, here we show striking parallels in the way that co-evolution between brood parasites and their hosts proceeds in insects and birds. First, we identify five types of co-evolutionary arms race from the empirical literature, which are common to both systems. These are: (a) directional co-evolution of weaponry and ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4393003 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4393003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4393004&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21199288%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Guerra PA A life-history trade-off exists between flight capability and reproduction in many wing dimorphic insects: a long-winged morph is flight-capable at the expense of reproduction, while a short-winged morph cannot fly, is less mobile, but has greater reproductive output. Using meta-analyses, I investigated specific questions regarding this trade-off. The trade-off in females was expressed primarily as a later onset of egg production and lower fecundity in long-winged females relative to short-winged females. Although considerably less work has been done with males, the trade-off exists for males among traits primarily related to mate acquisition. The trade-off can potentially be mitigated in males, as long-winged individuals possess an advantage in traits that can offse... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4393004 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4393004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4270521&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21155964%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pavoine S, Bonsall MB One of the oldest challenges in ecology is to understand the processes that underpin the composition of communities. Historically, an obvious way in which to describe community compositions has been diversity in terms of the number and abundances of species. However, the failure to reject contradictory models has led to communities now being characterized by trait and phylogenetic diversities. Our objective here is to demonstrate how species, trait and phylogenetic diversity can be combined together from large to local spatial scales to reveal the historical, deterministic and stochastic processes that impact the compositions of local communities. Research in this area has recently been advanced by the development of mathematical measures that incorporate... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4270521 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4270521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214799&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21091603%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Webster MM, Ward AJ There has been considerable interest among biologists in the phenomenon of non-human animal personality in recent years. Consistent variations among individuals in their behavioural responses to ecologically relevant stimuli, often relating to a trade-off between level of risk and reward, have been recorded in a wide variety of species, representing many animal taxa. Research into behavioural variation among individuals has major implications for our understanding of ecological patterns and processes at scales from the level of the individual to the level of the population. Until recently, however, many studies that have considered the broader ecological implications of animal personality have failed to take into account the crucial moderating effect of soc... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214799 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4214799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4182466&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21073648%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Del Mar Delgado M, Ratikainen II, Kokko H The group selection debate of the 1960s made it clear that evolution does not necessarily increase population performance. Individuals can be selected to have traits that diminish a common good and make population persistence difficult. At the extreme, the discrepancy between levels of selection is predicted to make traits evolve towards values at which a population can no longer persist (evolutionary suicide). Dispersal and prospecting are prime examples of traits that have a strong influence on population persistence under environmental and demographic stochasticity. Theory predicts that an 'optimal' dispersal strategy from a population point of view can differ considerably from that produced by individual-level selection. Because di... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4182466 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4182466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164302&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21070585%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rattenborg NC, Martinez-Gonzalez D, Roth Ii TC, Pravosudov VV The transition from wakefulness to sleep is marked by pronounced changes in brain activity. The brain rhythms that characterize the two main types of mammalian sleep, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, are thought to be involved in the functions of sleep. In particular, recent theories suggest that the synchronous slow-oscillation of neocortical neuronal membrane potentials, the defining feature of SWS, is involved in processing information acquired during wakefulness. According to the Standard Model of memory consolidation, during wakefulness the hippocampus receives input from neocortical regions involved in the initial encoding of an experience and binds this information into a coherent mem... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164302 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4164302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164300&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21070587%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yom-Tov Y, Geffen E Geographical and temporal variations in body size are common phenomena among organisms and may evolve within a few years. We argue that body size acts much like a barometer, fluctuating in parallel with changes in the relevant key predictor(s), and that geographical and temporal changes in body size are actually manifestations of the same drivers. Frequently, the principal predictors of body size are food availability during the period of growth and ambient temperature, which often affects food availability. Food availability depends on net primary productivity that, in turn, is determined by climate and weather (mainly temperature and precipitation), and these depend mainly on solar radiation and other solar activities. When the above predictors are relate... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164300 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4164300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164303&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21062400%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Scharf I, Lubin Y, Ovadia O Foraging theory was first developed to predict the behaviour of widely-foraging animals that actively search for prey. Although the behaviour of sit-and-wait predators often follows predictions derived from foraging theory, the similarity between these two distinct groups of predators is not always obvious. In this review, we compare foraging activities of trap-building predators (mainly pit-building antlions and web-building spiders), a specific group of sit-and-wait predators that construct traps as a foraging device, with those of widely-foraging predators. We refer to modifications of the trap characteristics as analogous to changes in foraging intensity. Our review illustrates that the responses of trap-building and widely-foraging predators to... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164303 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4164303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164301&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21070586%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Krist M Parents affect offspring fitness by propagule size and quality, selection of oviposition site, quality of incubation, feeding of dependent young, and their defence against predators and parasites. Despite many case studies on each of these topics, this knowledge has not been rigorously integrated into individual parental care traits for any taxon. Consequently, we lack a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of how parental care modifies offspring phenotypes. This meta-analysis of 283 studies with 1805 correlations between egg size and offspring quality in birds is intended to fill this gap. The large sample size enabled testing of how the magnitude of the relationship between egg size and offspring quality depends on a number of variables. Egg size was positively rel... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164301 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4164301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4121722&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20977599%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tuomainen U, Candolin U The initial response of individuals to human-induced environmental change is often behavioural. This can improve the performance of individuals under sudden, large-scale perturbations and maintain viable populations. The response can also give additional time for genetic changes to arise and, hence, facilitate adaptation to new conditions. On the other hand, maladaptive responses, which reduce individual fitness, may occur when individuals encounter conditions that the population has not experienced during its evolutionary history, which can decrease population viability. A growing number of studies find human disturbances to induce behavioural responses, both directly and by altering factors that influence fitness. Common causes of behavioural response... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4121722 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4121722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4107057&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20969720%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bothwell JH, Griffin JL Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most powerful analytical techniques available to biology. This review is an introduction to the potential of this method and is aimed at readers who have little or no experience in acquiring or analyzing NMR spectra. We focus on spectroscopic applications of the magnetic resonance effect, rather than imaging ones, and explain how various aspects of the NMR phenomenon make it a versatile tool with which to address a number of biological problems. Using detailed examples, we discuss the use of (1) H NMR spectroscopy in mixture analysis and metabolomics, the use of (13) C NMR spectroscopy in tracking isotopomers and determining the flux through metabolic pathways ('fluxomics') and the use of (31) ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4107057 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4107057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4107058&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20955361%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McLachlan AJ, Ladle RJ Recent high-profile calls for a more trait-focused approach to community ecology have the potential to open up novel research areas, generate new insights and to transform community ecology into a more predictive science. However, a renewed emphasis on function and phenotype also requires a fundamental shift in approach and research philosophy within community ecology to more fully embrace evolutionary reasoning. Such a subject-wise transformation will be difficult due to at least four factors: (1) the historical development of the academic discipline of ecology and its roots as a descriptive science; (2) the dominating role of the ecosystem concept in the driving of contemporary ecological thought; (3) the practical difficulties associated with defining... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4107058 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4107058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4075211&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20946539%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Boisserie JR, Fisher RE, Lihoreau F, Weston EM The fossil record of the Hippopotamidae can shed light on three major issues in mammalian evolution. First, as the Hippopotamidae are the extant sister group of Cetacea, gaining a better understanding of the origin of the Hippopotamidae and of their Paleogene ancestors will be instrumental in clarifying phylogenetic relationships within Cetartiodactyla. Unfortunately, the data relevant to hippopotamid origins have generally been ignored in phylogenetic analyses of cetartiodactyls. In order to obtain better resolution, future analyses should consider hypotheses of hippopotamid Paleogene relationships. Notably, an emergence of the Hippopotamidae from within anthracotheriids has received growing support, leading to reconciliation bet... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4075211 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4075211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025386&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20849492%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wong M, Balshine S The conundrum of why subordinate individuals assist dominants at the expense of their own direct reproduction has received much theoretical and empirical attention over the last 50 years. During this time, birds and mammals have taken centre stage as model vertebrate systems for exploring why helpers help. However, fish have great potential for enhancing our understanding of the generality and adaptiveness of helping behaviour because of the ease with which they can be experimentally manipulated under controlled laboratory and field conditions. In particular, the freshwater African cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher, has emerged as a promising model species for investigating the evolution of cooperative breeding, with 64 papers published on this species over th... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025386 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4025386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025385&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20849493%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Barlow J, Ewers RM, Anderson L, Aragao LE, Baker TR, Boyd E, Feldpausch TR, Gloor E, Hall A, Malhi Y, Milliken W, Mulligan M, Parry L, Pennington T, Peres CA, Phillips OL, Roman-Cuesta RM, Tobias JA, Gardner TA Developing high-quality scientific research will be most effective if research communities with diverse skills and interests are able to share information and knowledge, are aware of the major challenges across disciplines, and can exploit economies of scale to provide robust answers and better inform policy. We evaluate opportunities and challenges facing the development of a more interactive research environment by developing an interdisciplinary synthesis of research on a single geographic region. We focus on the Amazon as it is of enormous regional and global enviro... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025385 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4025385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025387&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20849452%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carnero A, Lleonart ME Cancer is controlled not only by genetic events but also by epigenetic events. The active acquisition of epigenetic changes is a poorly understood but very important process in mammalian development, differentiation, and disease. It is well established that epigenetic events are controlled by a specific subgroup of proteins, such as DNA methyltransferases, histone acetylases histone lysine methyltransferases or histone deacetylases, that influence methylation or acetylation patterns to modulate gene expression. We and others have identified S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase in a high-throughput genetic screen focused on discovering novel genes whose inhibition induces immortalisation of primary cells. Herein, we address the importance of genes involved in... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025387 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4025387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3981382&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20840372%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Purcell J The role of ecology in the evolution and maintenance of arthropod sociality has received increasing research attention in recent years. In some organisms, such as halictine bees, polistine wasps, and social spiders, researchers are investigating the environmental factors that may contribute to high levels of variation in the degree of sociality exhibited both among and within species. Within lineages that include only eusocial members, such as ants and termites, studies focus more on identifying extrinsic factors that may contribute to the dramatic variation in colony size, number of queens, and division of labour that is evident across these species. In this review, I propose a comparative approach that seeks to identify environmental factors that may have a common ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3981382 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3981382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3881964&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20716256%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Merhej V, Raoult D Rickettsia are best known as strictly intracellular vector-borne bacteria that cause mild to severe diseases in humans and other animals. Recent advances in molecular tools and biological experiments have unveiled a wide diversity of Rickettsia spp. that include species with a broad host range and some species that act as endosymbiotic associates. Molecular phylogenies of Rickettsia spp. contain some ambiguities, such as the position of R. canadensis and relationships within the spotted fever group. In the modern era of genomics, with an ever-increasing number of sequenced genomes, there is enhanced interest in the use of whole-genome sequences to understand pathogenesis and assess evolutionary relationships among rickettsial species. Rickettsia have small g... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3881964 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3881964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3823456&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20682007%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kiørboe T Zooplankton is a morphologically and taxonomically diverse group and includes organisms that vary in size by many orders of magnitude, but they are all faced with the common problem of collecting food from a very dilute suspension. In order to maintain a viable population in the face of mortality, zooplankton in the ocean have to clear daily a volume of ambient water for prey particles that is equivalent to about 10(6) times their own body volume. While most size-specific vital rates and mortality rates decline with size, the clearance requirement is largely size-independent because food availability also declines with size. There is a limited number of solutions to the problem of concentrating dilute prey from a sticky medium: passive and active ambush feeding; f... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3823456 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3823456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3803179&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20659104%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kraaijeveld K, Kraaijeveld-Smit FJ, Maan ME The spectacular diversity in sexually selected traits in the animal kingdom has inspired the hypothesis that sexual selection can promote species divergence. In recent years, several studies have attempted to test this idea by correlating species richness with estimates of sexual selection across phylogenies. These studies have yielded mixed results and it remains unclear whether the comparative evidence can be taken as generally supportive. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of the comparative evidence and find a small but significant positive overall correlation between sexual selection and speciation rate. However, we also find that effect size estimates are influenced by methodological choices. Analyses that included deeper phyloge... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3803179 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3803179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776722&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20636474%26dopt%3DAbstract We report that female competition is associated with many diverse adaptations, from overtly aggressive behaviour, weaponry, and conspicuous sexual signals to subtle and often complex social behaviour involving olfactory signalling, alliance formation, altruism and spite, and even cases where individuals appear to inhibit their own reproduction. Overall, despite some obvious parallels with male phenotypic traits favoured under sexual selection, it appears that fundamental differences in the reproductive strategies of the sexes (ultimately related to parental investment) commonly lead to contrasting competitive goals and adaptations. Because female adaptations for intrasexual competition are often less conspicuous than those of males, they are generally more challenging to study. In particul... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776722 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3776722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3741555&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20608927%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Higginson DM, Pitnick S Sperm are often considered to be individuals, in part because of their unique genetic identities produced as a result of synapsis during meiosis, and in part due to their unique ecology, being ejected away from the soma to continue their existence in a foreign environment. Selection at the level of individual sperm has been suggested to explain the evolution of two enigmatic sperm phenotypes: sperm heteromorphism, where more than one type of sperm is produced by a male, and sperm conjugation, where multiple sperm join together for motility and transport through the female reproductive tract before dissociation prior to fertilization. In sperm heteromorphic species, only one of the sperm morphs typically participates in fertilization, with the non-fertil... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3741555 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3741555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3741554&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20608928%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Haag WR, Rypel AL The amount of energy allocated to growth versus other functions is a fundamental feature of an organism's life history. Constraints on energy availability result in characteristic trade-offs among life-history traits and reflect strategies by which organisms adapt to their environments. Freshwater mussels are a diverse and imperiled component of aquatic ecosystems but little is known about their growth and longevity. Generalized depictions of freshwater mussels as 'long-lived and slow-growing' may give an unrealistically narrow view of life-history diversity which is incongruent with the taxonomic diversity of the group and can result in development of inappropriate conservation strategies. We investigated relationships among growth, longevity, and size in 57... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3741554 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3741554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3707601&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20579038%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: South A, Lewis SM Although the primary function of mating is gamete transfer, male ejaculates contain numerous other substances that are produced by accessory glands and transferred to females during mating. Studies with several model organisms have shown that these substances can exert diverse behavioural and physiological effects on females, including altered longevity and reproductive output, yet a comprehensive synthesis across taxa is lacking. Here we use a meta-analytic approach to synthesize quantitatively extensive experimental work examining how male ejaculate quantity affects different components of female fitness. We summarize effect sizes for female fecundity (partial and lifetime) and longevity from 84 studies conducted on 70 arthropod species that yielded a total... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3707601 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3707601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3700348&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20569253%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nakagawa S, Schielzeth H Repeatability (more precisely the common measure of repeatability, the intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC) is an important index for quantifying the accuracy of measurements and the constancy of phenotypes. It is the proportion of phenotypic variation that can be attributed to between-subject (or between-group) variation. As a consequence, the non-repeatable fraction of phenotypic variation is the sum of measurement error and phenotypic flexibility. There are several ways to estimate repeatability for Gaussian data, but there are no formal agreements on how repeatability should be calculated for non-Gaussian data (e.g. binary, proportion and count data). In addition to point estimates, appropriate uncertainty estimates (standard errors and confid... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3700348 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3700348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691163&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20560928%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Parker GA, Pizzari T Sperm competition was identified in 1970 as a pervasive selective force in post-copulatory sexual selection that occurs when the ejaculates of different males compete to fertilise a given set of ova. Since then, sperm competition has been much studied both empirically and theoretically. Because sperm competition often favours large ejaculates, an important challenge has been to understand the evolution of strategies through which males invest in sperm production and economise sperm allocation to maximise reproductive success under competitive conditions. Sperm competition mechanisms vary greatly, depending on many factors including the level of sperm competition, space constraints in the sperm competition arena, male mating roles, and female influences on ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691163 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3691163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672784&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20545672%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nonacs P, Hager R A major evolutionary question is how reproductive sharing arises in cooperatively breeding species despite the inherent reproductive conflicts in social groups. Reproductive skew theory offers one potential solution: each group member gains or is allotted inclusive fitness equal to or exceeding their expectation from reproducing on their own. Unfortunately, a multitude of skew models with conflicting predictions has led to confusion in both testing and evaluating skew theory. The confusion arises partly because one set of models (the 'transactional' type) answer the ultimate evolutionary question of what ranges of reproductive skew can yield fitness-enhancing solutions for all group members. The second set of models ('compromise') give an evolutionarily proxi... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672784 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3672784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633603&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20518759%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: White TC Many herbivorous animals selectively eat flowers and unripe fruit or seeds. Some preferentially eat new tissues growing from germinating seeds. This behaviour enables access to otherwise limited or unavailable amino acids that are necessary to sustain successful production and growth of young. For the same reason the diet of breeding females and neonates of many presumed strictly herbivorous animals is supplemented with animal protein. However, because these foods are often only eaten for limited periods, and make up only a small proportion of the total diet, they are usually dismissed as unimportant to the animals' nutrition. It is suggested that actively looking for such feeding may well reveal it to be far more common and important to the successful breeding of her... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633603 Tue, 25 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3633603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633604&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20518758%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the examination of the enamel microstructure of 28 additional dinosaur taxa fills in taxonomic gaps of previous studies and reinforces the aforementioned conclusions. Additionally, these new specimens reveal that within clades such as Sauropodomorpha, Neotheropoda, and Euornithopoda, the more basal taxa have simpler enamel that is a precursor to the more complex enamel of more derived taxa and that schmelzmusters evolve in a stepwise fashion. In the particularly well-sampled clade of Euornithopoda, correlations between the evolution of dental and enamel characters could be drawn. The ancestral schmelzmuster for Genasauria remains ambiguous due to the dearth of basal ornithischian teeth available for study. These new specimens provide new insights into the evolution of tooth ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633604 Mon, 24 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3633604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3554377&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20456334%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sander PM, Christian A, Clauss M, Fechner R, Gee CT, Griebeler EM, Gunga HC, Hummel J, Mallison H, Perry SF, Preuschoft H, Rauhut OW, Remes K, Tütken T, Wings O, Witzel U The herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were the largest terrestrial animals ever, surpassing the largest herbivorous mammals by an order of magnitude in body mass. Several evolutionary lineages among Sauropoda produced giants with body masses in excess of 50 metric tonnes by conservative estimates. With body mass increase driven by the selective advantages of large body size, animal lineages will increase in body size until they reach the limit determined by the interplay of bauplan, biology, and resource availability. There is no evidence, however, that resource availabi... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3554377 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3554377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3480292&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20394608%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roellig K, Menzies BR, Hildebrandt TB, Goeritz F Superfetation is understood as another conception during an already ongoing pregnancy. This implies the existence of young of different developmental stages within the female reproductive tract during certain periods of pregnancy. Nevertheless, a clear definition of the term as well as distinct criteria to identify the occurrence of superfetation in a species is missing. The variable anatomy of mammalian reproductive tracts seems to make the occurrence of superfetation more or less likely but impedes the simple evaluation of whether it is present or not. Additionally, adequate determination methods are missing or are difficult to apply at the right time. Superfetation or rather superfetation-like pregnancies are reported for num... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3480292 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3480292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3480293&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20394607%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dmitriew CM According to life-history theory, growth rates are subject to strong directional selection due to reproductive and survival advantages associated with large adult body size. Yet, growth is commonly observed to occur at rates lower than the maximum that is physiologically possible and intrinsic growth rates often vary among populations. This implies that slower growth is favoured under certain conditions. Realized growth rate is thus the result of a compromise between the costs and advantages of growing rapidly, and the optimal rate of growth is not equivalent to the fundamental maximum rate. The ecological and evolutionary factors influencing growth rate are reviewed, with particular emphasis on how growth might be constrained by direct fitness costs. Costs of acce... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3480293 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3480293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456945&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20377574%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gaskett AC The extraordinary taxonomic and morphological diversity of orchids is accompanied by a remarkable range of pollinators and pollination systems. Sexually deceptive orchids are adapted to attract specific male insects that are fooled into attempting to mate with orchid flowers and inadvertently acting as pollinators. This review summarises current knowledge, explores new hypotheses in the literature, and introduces some new approaches to understanding sexual deception from the perspective of the duped pollinator. Four main topics are addressed: (1) global patterns in sexual deception, (2) pollinator identities, mating systems and behaviours, (3) pollinator perception of orchid deceptive signals, and (4) the evolutionary implications of pollinator responses to orchid d... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456945 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3456945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456946&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20377573%26dopt%3DAbstract We present the parasite-stress model of intrastate conflict, which unites previous work on the correlates of intrastate conflict by linking frequency of the outbreak of such conflict, including civil war, to the intensity of infectious disease across countries of the world. High intensity of infectious disease leads to the emergence of xenophobic and ethnocentric cultural norms. These cultures suffer greater poverty and deprivation due to the morbidity and mortality caused by disease, and as a result of decreased investment in public health and welfare. Resource competition among xenophobic and ethnocentric groups within a nation leads to increased frequency of civil war. We present support for the parasite-stress model with regression analyses. We find support for a direct effect of infec... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456946 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3456946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379631&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233171%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ross L, Pen I, Shuker DM It is now clear that mechanisms of sex determination are extraordinarily labile, with considerable variation across all taxonomic levels. This variation is often expressed through differences in the genetic system (XX-XY, XX-XO, haplodiploidy, and so on). Why there is so much variation in such a seemingly fundamental process has attracted much attention, with recent ideas concentrating on the possible role of genomic conflicts of interest. Here we consider the role of inter- and intra-genomic conflicts in one large insect taxon: the scale insects. Scale insects exhibit a dizzying array of genetic systems, and their biology promotes conflicts of interest over transmission and sex ratio between male- and female-expressed genes, parental- and offspring-ex... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379631 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379630&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233190%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nilsson C, Brown RL, Jansson R, Merritt DM Hydrochory, or the passive dispersal of organisms by water, is an important means of propagule transport, especially for plants. During recent years, knowledge about hydrochory and its ecological consequences has increased considerably and a substantial body of literature has been produced. Here, we review this literature and define the state of the art of the discipline. A substantial proportion of species growing in or near water have propagules (fruits, seeds or vegetative units) able to disperse by water, either floating, submerged in flowing water, or with the help of floating vessels. Hydrochory can enable plants to colonize sites out of reach with other dispersal vectors, but the timing of dispersal and mechanisms of establishm... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379630 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379632&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233170%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Milewski AV, Mills AJ We propose that a basic biological imperative of all organisms is to maximise energy (E) intensity, defined as the average rate of energy use per unit area of the Earth's surface. The dominant organism in any given environment is predicted to be that exerting the greatest E intensity regardless of evolutionary origin. Our 'theory of biological E intensity' thus explains variation in life form in terms of adaptations as opposed to accidents of biological history. It defines the competitive criterion in all metabolic pathways and industrial processes as the average rate of kinetic energy use, excluding heating but including all directed biological kinesis at scales up to the whole organism. A suggested unit for E intensity is joules per square meter per yea... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379632 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379635&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233167%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dodou D, Breedveld P, de Winter JC, Dankelman J, van Leeuwen JL Adhesive systems are ubiquitous in benthic animals and play a key role in diverse functions such as locomotion, food capture, mating, burrow building, and defence. For benthic animals that release adhesives, surface and material properties and external morphology have received little attention compared to the biochemical content of the adhesives. We address temporary adhesion of benthic animals from the following three structural levels: (a) the biochemical content of the adhesive secretions, (b) the micro- and mesoscopic surface geometry and material properties of the adhesive organs, and (c) the macroscopic external morphology of the adhesive organs. We show that temporary adhesion of benthic animals is affected... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379635 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379633&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233169%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lewens T One often reads the following claims: (1) The modern conception of natural selection differs from Darwin's own conception only with respect to incidental features; (2) Natural selection is a very simple idea with enormous explanatory power. Both claims are problematic. R.A. Fisher famously argued that given a particulate view of inheritance, selection could proceed in a powerful manner even with frequent crossing, small fitness advantages and a low mutation rate. This is quite different from Darwin's view, which (roughly translated into a modern idiom) insists on infrequent crossing, large fitness advantages and a high mutation rate. The modern conception of natural selection is not the same as Darwin's, unless we describe natural selection in the most abstract manner... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379633 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3379634&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20233168%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Thomas ML Males of many species choose their mate according to the female's reproductive status, and there is now increasing evidence that male fitness can depend on this discrimination. However, females will also aim to regulate their mating activity so as to maximize their own fitness. As such, both sexes may attempt to dictate the frequency and timing of female mating, reflecting the potentially different costs of female signaling to both sexes. Here, I review evidence that chemical cues and signals are used widely by males to discriminate between mated and unmated females, and explore the mechanisms by which female odour changes post-mating. There is substantial empirical evidence that mated and unmated females differ in their chemical profile, and that this variation prov... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3379634 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3379634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3315371&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20184567%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schweiger O, Biesmeijer JC, Bommarco R, Hickler T, Hulme PE, Klotz S, Kühn I, Moora M, Nielsen A, Ohlemüller R, Petanidou T, Potts SG, Pyšek P, Stout JC, Sykes MT, Tscheulin T, Vilà M, Walther GR, Westphal C, Winter M, Zobel M, Settele J Global change may substantially affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but little is known about its effects on essential biotic interactions. Since different environmental drivers rarely act in isolation it is important to consider interactive effects. Here, we focus on how two key drivers of anthropogenic environmental change, climate change and the introduction of alien species, affect plant-pollinator interactions. Based on a literature survey we identify climatically sensitive aspects of species interactions, a... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3315371 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3315371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267720&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20148861%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Garamszegi LZ, Møller AP Comparative analyses aim to explain interspecific variation in phenotype among taxa. In this context, phylogenetic approaches are generally applied to control for similarity due to common descent, because such phylogenetic relationships can produce spurious similarity in phenotypes (known as phylogenetic inertia or bias). On the other hand, these analyses largely ignore potential biases due to within-species variation. Phylogenetic comparative studies inherently assume that species-specific means from intraspecific samples of modest sample size are biologically meaningful. However, within-species variation is often significant, because measurement errors, within- and between-individual variation, seasonal fluctuations, and differences among popula... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267720 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3267720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3244576&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20128785%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Evans KL, Hatchwell BJ, Parnell M, Gaston KJ Despite increasing interest in urban ecology the factors limiting the colonisation of towns and cities by species from rural areas are poorly understood. This is largely due to the lack of a detailed conceptual framework for this urbanisation process, and of sufficient case studies. Here, we develop such a framework. This draws upon a wide range of ecological and evolutionary theory and the increasing number of studies of how the markedly divergent conditions in urban and rural areas influence the traits of urban populations and the structure of urban assemblages. We illustrate the importance of this framework by compiling a detailed case study of spatial and temporal variation in the urbanisation of the blackbird Turdus merula. Our... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3244576 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3244576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3244577&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20128784%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hopper LM The focus of this review is the experimental techniques used to identify forms of social learning shown by humans and nonhuman animals. Specifically, the 'ghost display' and 'end-state' conditions, which have been used to tease apart imitative and emulative learning are evaluated. In a ghost display, the movements of an apparatus are demonstrated, often through the discrete use of fishing-line or hidden mechanisms, without a live model acting directly upon the apparatus so that the apparatus appears to be operated as if by a 'ghostly' agent. In an end-state condition, an observing individual is shown the initial state of the test apparatus, the apparatus is then manipulated out-of-sight and then represented to the individual in its final state. The aim of the ghost d... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3244577 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3244577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3218405&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20105153%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pautasso M, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Holdenrieder O, Pietravalle S, Salama N, Jeger MJ, Lange E, Hehl-Lange S Global change (climate change together with other worldwide anthropogenic processes such as increasing trade, air pollution and urbanization) will affect plant health at the genetic, individual, population and landscape level. Direct effects include ecosystem stress due to natural resources shortage or imbalance. Indirect effects include (i) an increased frequency of natural detrimental phenomena, (ii) an increased pressure due to already present pests and diseases, (iii) the introduction of new invasive species either as a result of an improved suitability of the climatic conditions or as a result of increased trade, and (iv) the human response to global change. In this revi... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3218405 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3218405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3218404&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20105154%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Clarke A, Pörtner HO Endothermy has evolved at least twice, in the precursors to modern mammals and birds. The most widely accepted explanation for the evolution of endothermy has been selection for enhanced aerobic capacity. We review this hypothesis in the light of advances in our understanding of ATP generation by mitochondria and muscle performance. Together with the development of isotope-based techniques for the measurement of metabolic rate in free-ranging vertebrates these have confirmed the importance of aerobic scope in the evolution of endothermy: absolute aerobic scope, ATP generation by mitochondria and muscle power output are all strongly temperature-dependent, indicating that there would have been significant improvement in whole-organism locomotor ability ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3218404 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3218404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3218403&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20105155%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Benkendorff K The phylum Mollusca represents an enormous diversity of species with eight distinct classes. This review provides a taxonomic breakdown of the published research on marine molluscan natural products and the medicinal products currently derived from molluscs, in order to identify priority targets and strategies for future research. Some marine gastropods and bivalves have been of great interest to natural products chemists, yielding a diversity of chemical classes and several drug leads currently in clinical trials. Molluscs also feature prominently in a broad range of traditional natural medicines, although the active ingredients in the taxa involved are typically unknown. Overall secondary metabolites have only been investigated from a tiny proportion (<1%) o... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3218403 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3218403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3157840&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20055815%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stevens VM, Turlure C, Baguette M Dispersal has recently gained much attention because of its crucial role in the conservation and evolution of species facing major environmental changes such as habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and their interactions. Butterflies have long been recognized as ideal model systems for the study of dispersal and a huge amount of data on their ability to disperse has been collected under various conditions. However, no single 'best' method seems to exist leading to the co-occurrence of various approaches to study butterfly mobility, and therefore a high heterogeneity among data on dispersal across this group. Accordingly, we here reviewed the knowledge accumulated on dispersal and mobility in butterflies, to detect general patterns. ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3157840 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3157840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3135743&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20039874%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Coy P, Avilés M ABSTRACT A block to polyspermy is required for successful fertilisation and embryo survival in mammals. A higher incidence of polyspermy is observed during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) compared with the in vivo situation in several species. Two groups of mechanisms have traditionally been proposed as contributing to the block to polyspermy in mammals: oviduct-based mechanisms, avoiding a massive arrival of spermatozoa in the proximity of the oocyte, and egg-based mechanisms, including changes in the membrane and zona pellucida (ZP) in reaction to the fertilising sperm. Additionally, a mechanism has been described recently which involves modifications of the ZP in the oviduct before the oocyte interacts with spermatozoa, termed "pre-fertilisation zona pellu... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3135743 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3135743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3135745&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20039865%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tan DX, Hardeland R, Manchester LC, Paredes SD, Korkmaz A, Sainz RM, Mayo JC, Fuentes-Broto L, Reiter RJ Melatonin is a molecule present in a multitude of taxa and may be ubiquitous in organisms. It has been found in bacteria, unicellular eukaryotes, macroalgae, fungi, plants and animals. A primary biological function of melatonin in primitive unicellular organisms is in antioxidant defence to protect against toxic free radical damage. During evolution, melatonin has been adopted by multicellular organisms to perform many other biological functions. These functions likely include the chemical expression of darkness in vertebrates, environmental tolerance in fungi and plants, sexual signaling in birds and fish, seasonal reproductive regulation in photoperiodic mammals, and immu... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3135745 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3135745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3135744&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20039866%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gilbert C, McCafferty D, Le Maho Y, Martrette JM, Giroud S, Blanc S, Ancel A Huddling can be defined as "an active and close aggregation of animals". It is a cooperative group behaviour, permitting individuals involved in social thermoregulation to minimize heat loss and thereby lower their energy expenditure, and possibly allowing them to reallocate the saved energy to other functions such as growth or reproduction. Huddling is especially important in the case of animals faced with high heat loss due to a high surface-to-volume ratio, poor insulation, or living in cold environments. Although numerous experimental studies have focused on the huddling behaviour of a wide range of species, to our knowledge, this is the first attempt to review the various implications of this wid... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3135744 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3135744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105359&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015311%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Saunders RM The recent publication of hypotheses explaining the homeotic control of floral organ identity together with the availability of increasingly comprehensive and well-resolved molecular phylogenies presents an ideal opportunity for reassessing current knowledge of floral diversity and evolution in the Annonaceae. This review summarizes currently available information on selected aspects of floral structure and function, including: changes in the number of perianth whorls and the number of perianth parts per whorl; the evolution of sympetaly; the diversity and evolution of pollination chambers (with a novel classification of seven main structural forms of floral chamber based on the different arrangement, size and shape of petals); the evolution of perianth glands; flo... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105359 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105358&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015312%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Levron C, Miquel J, Oros M, Scholz T New data on spermiogenesis and the ultrastructure of spermatozoa of 'true' tapeworms (Eucestoda) are summarized. Since 2001, more than 50 species belonging to most orders of the Eucestoda have been studied or reinvestigated, particularly members of the Caryophyllidea, Spathebothriidea, Diphyllobothriidea, Bothriocephalidea, Trypanorhyncha, Tetraphyllidea, Proteocephalidea, and Cyclophyllidea. A new classification of spermatozoa of eucestodes into seven basic types is proposed and a key to their identification is given. For the first time, a phylogenetic tree inferred from spermatological characters is provided. New information obtained in the last decade has made it possible to fill numerous gaps in the character data matrix, enabling us to... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105358 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105357&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015313%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Letnic M, Dickman CR Resources are produced in pulses in many terrestrial environments, and have important effects on the population dynamics and assemblage structure of animals that consume them. Resource-pulsing is particularly dramatic in Australian desert environments owing to marked spatial and temporal variability in rainfall, and thus primary productivity. Here, we first review how Australia's desert mammals respond to fluctuations in resource production, and evaluate the merits of three currently accepted models (the ecological refuge, predator refuge and fire-mosaic models) as explanations of the observed dynamics. We then integrate elements of these models into a novel state-and-transition model and apply it to well-studied small mammal assemblages that inhabit the v... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105357 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105356&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015314%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gaestel M This review describes recent developments in analysing the influence of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs ) on biological systems by monitoring the cellular stress response as well as overall gene expression. Recent data on the initiation and modulation of the classical cellular stress response by RF-EMFs, comprising expression of heat shock proteins and stimulation of stress-activated protein kinases, are summarised and evaluated. Since isothermic RF-EMF exposure is assumed rather than proven there are clear limitations in using the stress response to describe non-thermal effects of RF-EMFs. In particular, further experiments are needed to characterise better the threshold of the thermal heat shock response and the homogeneity of the cellular response ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105356 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105355&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015315%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vanderpoorten A, Robbert Gradstein S, Carine MA, Devos N Recent advances in phylogenetics and, in particular, molecular dating, indicate that transoceanic dispersal has played an important role in shaping plant and animal distributions, obscuring any effect of tectonic history. Taxonomic sampling in biogeographic studies is, however, systematically biased towards vertebrates and higher plants and the possibility remains that a much stronger signature of ancient vicariance might be evident among other organisms, particularly among basal land plants. Here, an explicit Bayesian model-based approach was used to investigate global-scale biogeographic patterns among liverwort genera and to determine whether the patterns identified are consistent with the expectations of vicariance o... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105355 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105354&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015316%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chown SL, Gaston KJ Body size is a key feature of organisms and varies continuously because of the effects of natural selection on the size-dependency of resource acquisition and mortality rates. This review provides a critical and synthetic overview of body size variation in insects from a predominantly macroecological (large-scale temporal and spatial) perspective. Because of the importance of understanding the proximate determinants of adult size, it commences with a brief summary of the physiological mechanisms underlying adult body size and its variation, based mostly on findings for the model species Drosophila melanogaster and Manduca sexta. Variation in nutrition and temperature have variable effects on critical weight, the interval to cessation of growth (or terminal ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105354 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105362&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20002389%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Woolley DM Eukaryotic flagella and cilia have a remarkably uniform internal 'engine' known as the '9+2' axoneme. With few exceptions, the function of cilia and flagella is to beat rhythmically and set up relative motion between themselves and the liquid that surrounds them. The molecular basis of axonemal movement is understood in considerable detail, with the exception of the mechanism that provides its rhythmical or oscillatory quality. Some kind of repetitive 'switching' event is assumed to occur; there are several proposals regarding the nature of the 'switch' and how it might operate. Herein I first summarise all the factors known to influence the rate of the oscillation (the beating frequency). Many of these factors exert their effect through modulating the mean sliding ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105362 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105361&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20002390%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nyman T Coevolutionary studies on plants and plant-feeding insects have significantly improved our understanding of the role of niche shifts in the generation of new species. Evolving plant lineages essentially constitute moving islands and archipelagoes in resource space, and host shifts by insects are usually preceded by colonizations of novel resources. Critical to hypotheses concerning ecological speciation is what happens immediately before and after colonization attempts: if an available plant is too similar to the current host(s), it simply will be incorporated into the existing diet, but if it is too different, it will not be colonized in the first place. It thus seems that the probability of speciation is maximized when alternative hosts are at an 'intermediate' dista... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105361 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105360&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20002391%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ketchum HF, Benson RB Previous attempts to resolve plesiosaurian phylogeny are reviewed and a new phylogenetic data set of 66 taxa (67% of ingroup taxa examined directly) and 178 characters (eight new) is presented. We recover two key novel results: a monophyletic Plesiosauridae comprising Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus, Hydrorion brachypterygius, Microcleidus homalospondylus, Occitanosaurus tournemirensis and Seeleyosaurus guilelmiimperatoris; and five plesiosaurian taxa recovered outside the split between Plesiosauroidea and Pliosauroidea. These taxa are Attenborosaurus conybeari, 'Plesiosaurus'macrocephalus and a clade comprising Archaeonectrus rostratus, Macroplata tenuiceps and BMNH 49202. Based on this result, a new name, Neoplesiosauria, is erected for the clade comprising ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105360 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105353&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20015317%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ne'eman G, Jürgens A, Newstrom-Lloyd L, Potts SG, Dafni A ABSTRACT Measuring pollinator performance has become increasingly important with emerging needs for risk assessment in conservation and sustainable agriculture that require multi-year and multi-site comparisons across studies. However, comparing pollinator performance across studies is difficult because of the diversity of concepts and disparate methods in use. Our review of the literature shows many unresolved ambiguities. Two different assessment concepts predominate: the first estimates stigmatic pollen deposition and the underlying pollinator behaviour parameters, while the second estimates the pollinator's contribution to plant reproductive success, for example in terms of seed set. Both concepts include a num... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105353 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3105353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3057158&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19951335%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Richardson MK, Admiraal J, Wright GM Lampreys are a group of aquatic chordates whose relationships to hagfishes and jawed vertebrates are still debated. Lamprey embryology is of interest to evolutionary biologists because it may shed light on vertebrate origins. For this and other reasons, lamprey embryology has been extensively researched by biologists from a range of disciplines. However, many of the key studies of lamprey comparative embryology are relatively inaccessible to the modern scientist. Therefore, in view of the current resurgence of interest in lamprey evolution and development, we present here a review of lamprey developmental anatomy. We identify several features of early organogenesis, including the origin of the nephric duct, that need to be re-examined with ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3057158 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3057158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3031304&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19930171%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li Y, Wu R Understanding how an organism develops into a fully functioning adult from a mass of undifferentiated cells may reveal different strategies that allow the organism to survive under limiting conditions. Here, we review an analytical model for characterizing quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that underlie variation in growth trajectories and developmental timing. This model, called functional mapping, incorporates fundamental principles behind biological processes or networks that are bridged with mathematical functions into a statistical mapping framework. Functional mapping estimates parameters that determine the shape and function of a particular biological process, thus providing a flexible platform to test biologically meaningful hypotheses regarding the complex rel... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3031304 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3031304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3031303&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19930172%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Swift TL, Hannon SJ A major conservation concern is whether population size and other ecological variables change linearly with habitat loss, or whether they suddenly decline more rapidly below a "critical threshold" level of habitat. The most commonly discussed explanation for critical threshold responses to habitat loss focus on habitat configuration. As habitat loss progresses, the remaining habitat is increasingly fragmented or the fragments are increasingly isolated, which may compound the effects of habitat loss. In this review we also explore other possible explanations for apparently nonlinear relationships between habitat loss and ecological responses, including Allee effects and time lags, and point out that some ecological variables will inherently respond nonlinear... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3031303 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3031303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015616&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19922534%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schuett W, Tregenza T, Dall SR ABSTRACT Consistent individual behavioural tendencies, termed "personalities", have been identified in a wide range of animals. Functional explanations for personality have been proposed, but as yet, very little consideration has been given to a possible role for sexual selection in maintaining differences in personality and its stability within individuals. We provide an overview of the available literature on the role of personality traits in intrasexual competition and mate choice in both human and non-human animals and integrate this into a framework for considering how sexual selection can generate and maintain personality. For this, we consider the evolution and maintenance of both main aspects of animal personality: inter-individual variat... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015616 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3015616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977800&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19895605%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Langer MC, Ezcurra MD, Bittencourt JS, Novas FE ABSTRACT The oldest unequivocal records of Dinosauria were unearthed from Late Triassic rocks (approximately 230 Ma) accumulated over extensional rift basins in southwestern Pangea. The better known of these are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Pisanosaurus mertii, Eoraptor lunensis, and Panphagia protos from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina, and Staurikosaurus pricei and Saturnalia tupiniquim from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil. No uncontroversial dinosaur body fossils are known from older strata, but the Middle Triassic origin of the lineage may be inferred from both the footprint record and its sister-group relation to Ladinian basal dinosauromorphs. These include the typical Marasuchus lilloensis, more basal forms su... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977800 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2977800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977799&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19895606%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Glazier DS ABSTRACT The scaling of metabolic rate with body mass has long been a controversial topic. Some workers have claimed that the slope of log-log metabolic scaling relationships typically obeys a universal 3/4-power law resulting from the geometry of resource-transport networks. Others have attempted to explain the broad diversity of metabolic scaling relationships. Although several potentially useful models have been proposed, at present none successfully predicts the entire range of scaling relationships seen among both physiological states and taxonomic groups of animals and plants. Here I argue that our understanding may be aided by three shifts in focus: from explaining average tendencies to explaining variation between extreme boundary limits, from explaining the... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977799 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2977799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2935210&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19857213%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gaubert P, Denys G, Oberdorff T We used the supertree approach of matrix representation with parsimony to reconstruct to date the most exhaustive (genus-level) phylogeny of Cyprinidae. The supertree of Cyprinidae, representing 397 taxa (237 nominal genera) and 990 pseudocharacters, was well resolved (96%) through extended consensus majority rule, although 36 nodes (9.4%) were unsupported. The proportion of shared taxa among source trees was very low after calculation of the taxonomic coverage index (TCI = 0.059), which is proposed here as a more accurate alternative to the usual ratios calculated from the number of pseudo-characters or source trees per taxon. We define a new index for the calculation of partitioned qualitative clade support, the partitioned rQS ((p)rQS), which... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2935210 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:56:07 +0100 2935210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766822&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19725819%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe: (1) how conformational changes in the Ca(2+) sensor calmodulin result in the exposure of binding pockets for the target proteins (CaMKs and calcineurin). (2) How Calmodulin consequently activates either the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinases pathways (via CaMKs) or calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine phosphatases (via calcineurin). (3) How calmodulin kinases alter transcription in the nucleus through the phosphorylation, deactivation and translocation of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. (4) How calcineurin transmits signals to the nucleus through the dephosphorylation and translocation of NFAT from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. PMID: 19725819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical So... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766822 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2766822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766821&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19725820%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dickinson HG, Grant-Downton R ABSTRACT Alternation of generations underpins all plant life histories and is held to possess important adaptive features. A wide range of data have accumulated over the past century which suggest that alternation from sporophyte to gametophyte in angiosperms includes a significant phase of 'informational reprogramming', leaving the founder cells of the gametophyte developmentally uncommitted. This review attempts to bring together results from these historic studies with more recent data on molecular and epigenetic events which accompany alternation, gametophyte development and gametogenesis in angiosperms. It is striking that most members of the other principal group of multicellular eukaryotes - the animals - have a completely different a life ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766821 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2766821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702972&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19673856%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Møller AP, Arriero E, Lobato E, Merino S ABSTRACT Parasitism is a common cause of host mortality, but little is known about the ecological factors affecting parasite virulence (the rate of mortality among infected hosts). We reviewed 117 field estimates of parasite-induced nestling mortality in birds, showing that there was significant consistency in mortality among host and parasite taxa. Virulence increased towards the tropics in analyses of both species-specific data and phylogenetic analyses. We found evidence of greater parasite prevalence being associated with reduced virulence. Furthermore, bird species breeding in open nest sites suffered from greater parasite-induced mortality than hole-nesting species. By contrast, parasite specialization and generation time of ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702972 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2702972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702971&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19673857%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McWhorter TJ, Caviedes-Vidal E, Karasov WH ABSTRACT We review digestion and osmoregulation in the avian gut, with an emphasis on the ways these different functions might interact to support or constrain each other and the ways they support the functioning of the whole animal in its natural environment. Differences between birds and other vertebrates are highlighted because these differences may make birds excellent models for study and may suggest interesting directions for future research. At a given body size birds, compared with mammals, tend to eat more food but have less small intestine and retain food in their gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for shorter periods of time, despite generally higher mass-specific energy demands. On most foods, however, they are not less efficien... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702971 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2702971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682276&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19659884%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vergne AL, Pritz MB, Mathevon N Crocodilians and birds are the modern representatives of Phylum Archosauria. Although there have been recent advances in our understanding of the phylogeny and ecology of ancient archosaurs like dinosaurs, it still remains a challenge to obtain reliable information about their behaviour. The comparative study of birds and crocodiles represents one approach to this interesting problem. One of their shared behavioural features is the use of acoustic communication, especially in the context of parental care. Although considerable data are available for birds, information concerning crocodilians is limited. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about acoustic communication in crocodilians, from sound production to hearing processe... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682276 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2682276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682275&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19659885%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Monastyrska I, Rieter E, Klionsky DJ, Reggiori F Autophagy is involved in a wide range of physiological processes including cellular remodeling during development, immuno-protection against heterologous invaders and elimination of aberrant or obsolete cellular structures. This conserved degradation pathway also plays a key role in maintaining intracellular nutritional homeostasis and during starvation, for example, it is involved in the recycling of unnecessary cellular components to compensate for the limitation of nutrients. Autophagy is characterized by specific membrane rearrangements that culminate with the formation of large cytosolic double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. Autophagosomes sequester cytoplasmic material that is destined for degradation. Once compl... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682275 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2682275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682274&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19659886%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Block W, Lewis Smith RI, Kennedy AD Antarctic fellfields present organisms with a heterogeneous habitat characterised by a wide variety of environmental stresses. These include low temperatures, limited moisture availability, frequent and often rapid freeze-thaw and hydration-dehydration cycles, exposure to high photosynthetic photon flux density and ultraviolet (uv) irradiance, seasonal snow cover, high winds, cryoturbation and, depending on location south of the Antarctic Circle, considerable daylight in summer. Most of these factors vary both predictably and unpredictably in spatial and temporal planes. In response to this adverse environment, fellfield organisms have developed a variety of strategies to overcome physiological stress and to exploit the limited resources ava... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682274 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2682274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682273&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19659887%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lima SL A growing body of work suggests that breeding birds have a significant capacity to assess and respond, over ecological time, to changes in the risk of predation to both themselves and their eggs or nestlings. This review investigates the nature of this flexibility in the face of predation from both behavioural and reproductive perspectives, and also explores several directions for future research. Most available work addresses different aspects of nest predation. A substantial change in breeding location is perhaps the best documented response to nest predation, but such changes are not always observed and not necessarily the best strategy. Changes in nesting microhabitat (to more concealed locations) following predation are known to occur. Surprisingly little work add... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682273 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2682273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546638&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19485985%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Donohue I, Garcia Molinos J Abstract Increased sediment loading comprises one of the most important and pervasive anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems globally. In spite of this, little is known of the overall effects of increased sediment loads on lakes. By modifying both bottom-up and top-down ecological processes and restructuring energy flow pathways, increased sediment loads not only alter biotic assemblage structure and ecological functioning significantly, but frequently result in reduced biological diversity and productivity. Although lake food-webs can be subsidised to some extent by the adsorption of organic carbon to fine sediments, trophic structure and the composition of biotic assemblages remain likely to be modified considerably. The mineralogy and partic... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546638 Wed, 27 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546636&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19485986%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dunbar RI, Korstjens AH, Lehmann J, Abstract Conventional approaches to population biology emphasise the roles of climatic conditions, nutrient flow and predation as constraints on population dynamics. We argue here that this focus has obscured the role of time as a crucial constraint on species' abilities to survive in some habitats. Time constraints may be particularly intrusive both for species that live in intensely bonded groups (where the need to devote time to social interaction may ultimately limit the size of group that a species can maintain in a particular habitat) and for taxa that face constraints on the length of the active day. We use a linear programming approach that allows us to specify both how time allocations to different activities are influenced by loca... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546636 Wed, 27 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546634&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19485987%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kampichler C, Bruckner A Abstract Litterbags have been utilized in soil ecology for about 50 years. They are useful because they confine organic material and thus enable the study of decomposition dynamics (mass loss and/or nutrient loss through time, colonization by soil biota) in situ, i.e. under field conditions. Researchers can easily restrict or permit access to certain size classes of soil fauna to determine their contribution to litter mass loss by choosing adequate mesh size or applying specific biocides. In particular, the mesofauna has received much attention since it comprises two very abundant and diverse microarthropod groups, the Collembola (springtails) and Acari (mites). We comprehensively searched the literature from the mid-1960s to the end of 2005 for report... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546634 Tue, 26 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546652&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19382932%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hargreaves AL, Harder LD, Johnson SD Many of the diverse animals that consume floral rewards act as efficient pollinators; however, others 'steal' rewards without 'paying' for them by pollinating. In contrast to the extensive studies of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of nectar theft, pollen theft and its implications remain largely neglected, even though it affects plant reproduction more directly. Here we review existing studies of pollen theft and find that: (1) most pollen thieves pollinate other plant species, suggesting that theft generally arises from a mismatch between the flower and thief that precludes pollen deposition, (2) bees are the most commonly documented pollen thieves, and (3) the floral traits that typically facilitate pollen theft involve eith... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546652 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546650&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19382933%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schaedelin FC, Taborsky M Animal signals may result from construction behaviour and can provide receivers with essential information in various contexts. Here we explore the potential benefits of extended phenotypes with a signalling function as compared to bodily ornaments and behavioural displays. Their independence of the body, their physical persistence and the morphological and cognitive conditions required for their construction allow unique communication possibilities. We classify various levels of information transfer by extended phenotype signals and explore the differences between secreted signals and signals resulting from collection and construction, which usually involve higher behavioural complexity. We examine evolutionary pathways of extended phenotypes with a ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546650 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546648&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19382934%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Witten PE, Huysseune A Resorption and remodelling of skeletal tissues is required for development and growth, mechanical adaptation, repair, and mineral homeostasis of the vertebrate skeleton. Here we review for the first time the current knowledge about resorption and remodelling of the skeleton in teleost fish, the largest and most diverse group of extant vertebrates. Teleost species are increasingly used in aquaculture and as models in biomedical skeletal research. Thus, detailed knowledge is required to establish the differences and similarities between mammalian and teleost skeletal remodelling, and between distantly related species such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes). The cellular mechanisms of differentiation and activation of osteoclasts and th... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546648 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546646&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19391200%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Russell DA, Rich FJ, Schneider V, Lynch-Stieglitz J Physical and biological evidence supports the probable existence of an enclave of relatively warm climate located between the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean in the United States during the Last Glacial Maximum. The region supported a mosaic of forest and prairie habitats inhabited by a "Floridian" ice-age biota. Plant and vertebrate remains suggest an ecological gradient towards Cape Hatteras (35 degreesN) wherein forests tended to replace prairies, and browsing proboscideans tended to replace grazing proboscideans. Beyond 35 degreesN, warm waters of the Gulf Stream were deflected towards the central Atlantic, and a cold-facies biota replaced "Floridian" biota on the Atlantic coastal plain. Because of n... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546646 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546644&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19391202%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lindquist ES, Krauss KW, Green PT, O'Dowd DJ, Sherman PM, Smith TJ Plant populations are regulated by a diverse assortment of abiotic and biotic factors that influence seed dispersal and viability, and seedling establishment and growth at the microsite. Rarely does one animal guild exert as significant an influence on different plant assemblages as land crabs. We review three tropical coastal ecosystems-mangroves, island maritime forests, and mainland coastal terrestrial forests-where land crabs directly influence forest composition by limiting tree establishment and recruitment. Land crabs differentially prey on seeds, propagules and seedlings along nutrient, chemical and physical environmental gradients. In all of these ecosystems, but especially mangroves, abiotic gradients... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546644 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546642&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19391204%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Herrera KJ, Somarelli JA, Lowery RK, Herrera RJ Neanderthals represent an extinct hominid lineage that existed in Europe and Asia for nearly 400,000 years. They thrived in these regions for much of this time, but declined in numbers and went extinct around 30,000 years ago. Interestingly, their disappearance occurred subsequent to the arrival of modern humans into these areas, which has prompted some to argue that Neanderthals were displaced by better suited and more adaptable modern humans. Still others have postulated that Neanderthals were assimilated into the gene pool of modern humans by admixture. Until relatively recently, conclusions about the relationships between Neanderthals and contemporary humans were based solely upon evidence left behind in the fossil and archae... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546642 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2546640&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19438430%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Benskin CM, Wilson K, Jones K, Hartley IR Abstract The importance of wild birds as potential vectors of disease has received recent renewed empirical interest, especially regarding human health. Understanding the spread of bacterial pathogens in wild birds may serve as a useful model for examining the spread of other disease organisms, both amongst birds, and from birds to other taxa. Information regarding the normal gastrointestinal bacterial flora is limited for the majority of wild bird species, with the few well-studied examples concentrating on bacteria that are zoonotic and/or relate to avian species of commercial interest. However, most studies are limited by small sample sizes, the frequent absence of longitudinal data, and the constraints of using selective techniques... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2546640 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2546640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324030&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19344429%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kassahn KS, Crozier RH, Pörtner HO, Caley MJ Abstract Recent advances in molecular biology and the use of DNA microarrays for gene expression profiling are providing new insights into the animal stress response, particularly the effects of stress on gene regulation. However, interpretation of the complex transcriptional changes that occur during stress still poses many challenges because the relationship between changes at the transcriptional level and other levels of biological organisation is not well understood. To confront these challenges, a conceptual model linking physiological and transcriptional responses to stress would be helpful. Here, we provide the basis for one such model by synthesising data from organismal, endocrine, cellular, molecular, and genomic stud... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324030 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2324030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324027&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19344430%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hasson O, Stone L Abstract Females that are socially bonded to a single male, either in a social monogamy or in a social polygyny, are often sexually polyandrous. Extrapair copulations (EPC) have often been suggested or rejected, on both empirical and theoretical grounds, as an important mechanism that enables females to avoid fertility risks in case their socially bonded male is infertile. Here, we explore this possibility in two steps. First, we present a mathematical model that assumes that females have no precopulatory information about male fertility, and shows that a female EPC strategy increases female reproductive success only if certain specific conditions are upheld in the nature of male infertility. In particular, these conditions require both (i) that fertile sperm... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324027 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2324027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153647&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19183335%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dechmann DK, Safi K Comparative studies of brain size have a long history and contributed much to our understanding of the evolution and function of the brain and its parts. Recently, bats have been used increasingly as model organisms for such studies because of their large number of species, high diversity of life-history strategies, and a comparatively detailed knowledge of their neuroanatomy. Here, we draw attention to inherent problems of comparative brain size studies, highlighting limitations but also suggesting alternative approaches. We argue that the complexity and diversity of neurological tasks that the brain and its functional regions (subdivisions) must solve cannot be explained by a single or few variables representing selective pressures. Using an example we sh... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153647 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2098581&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19133959%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Usher-Smith JA, Huang CL, Fraser JA Abstract Regulation of cell volume is a fundamental property of all animal cells and is of particular importance in skeletal muscle where exercise is associated with a wide range of cellular changes that would be expected to influence cell volume. These complex electrical, metabolic and osmotic changes, however, make rigorous study of the consequences of individual factors on muscle volume difficult despite their likely importance during exercise. Recent charge-difference modelling of cell volume distinguishes three major aspects to processes underlying cell volume control: (i) determination by intracellular impermeant solute; (ii) maintenance by metabolically dependent processes directly balancing passive solute and water fluxes that would ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2098581 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2098581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2098580&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19133960%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Butler RJ, Barrett PM, Kenrick P, Penn MG Abstract The significance of co-evolution over ecological timescales is well established, yet it remains unclear to what extent co-evolutionary processes contribute to driving large-scale evolutionary and ecological changes over geological timescales. Some of the most intriguing and pervasive long-term co-evolutionary hypotheses relate to proposed interactions between herbivorous non-avian dinosaurs and Mesozoic plants, including cycads. Dinosaurs have been proposed as key dispersers of cycad seeds during the Mesozoic, and temporal variation in cycad diversity and abundance has been linked to dinosaur faunal changes. Here we assess the evidence for proposed hypotheses of trophic and evolutionary interactions between these two groups us... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2098580 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2098580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2042405&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19077127%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McLachlan AJ, Ladle RJ Abstract Detritus (dead organic matter), largely of terrestrial origin, is superabundant in inland waters but because of its indigestible nature, would appear to be a poor food source for animals. Yet this unpromising material is widely used as food and indeed can be viewed as a defining characteristic of the freshwater environment. We here explore the relationships among animals, detritus and its associated micro-organism decomposers, taking a functional approach. We pose questions about interrelationships and attempt to arrive at new insights by disentangling them from an adaptive point of view. To do this we have been careful in selecting the habitats for detailed consideration. Rain pools on rock surfaces in tropical Africa and pools on peat moorland... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2042405 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2042405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2007851&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19046398%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Martínez Del Rio C, Wolf N, Carleton SA, Gannes LZ Abstract About 10 years ago, reviews of the use of stable isotopes in animal ecology predicted explosive growth in this field and called for laboratory experiments to provide a mechanistic foundation to this growth. They identified four major areas of inquiry: (1) the dynamics of isotopic incorporation, (2) mixing models, (3) the problem of routing, and (4) trophic discrimination factors. Because these areas remain central to isotopic ecology, we use them as organising foci to review the experimental results that isotopic ecologists have collected in the intervening 10 years since the call for laboratory experiments. We also review the models that have been built to explain and organise experimental results in these areas... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2007851 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2007851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2007850&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19046399%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Thornhill R, Fincher CL, Aran D Abstract The countries of the world vary in their position along the autocracy-democracy continuum of values. Traditionally, scholars explain this variation as based on resource distribution and disparity among nations. We provide a different framework for understanding the autocracy-democracy dimension and related value dimensions, one that is complementary (not alternative) to the research tradition, but more encompassing, involving both evolutionary (ultimate) and proximate causation of the values. We hypothesize that the variation in values pertaining to autocracy-democracy arises fundamentally out of human (Homo sapiens) species-typical psychological adaptation that manifests contingently, producing values and associated behaviours that fun... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2007850 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2007850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2007849&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19046400%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lynam-Lennon N, Maher SG, Reynolds JV Abstract microRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, non-protein-coding RNAs that function to regulate gene expression. In mammals this regulation is primarily carried out by repression of translation. miRNAs play important roles in homeostatic processes such as development, cell proliferation and cell death. Recently the dysregulation of miRNAs has been linked to cancer initiation and progression, indicating that miRNAs may play roles as tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes. The role of miRNAs in apoptosis is not fully understood, however, evidence is mounting that miRNAs are important in this process. The dysregulation of miRNAs involved in apoptosis may provide a mechanism for cancer development and resistance to cancer therapy. This revie... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2007849 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2007849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2007848&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19046401%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wcislo WT, Tierney SM Abstract Most bees forage for floral resources during the day, but temporal patterns of foraging activity vary extensively, and foraging in dim-light environments has evolved repeatedly. Facultative dim-light foraging behaviour is known in five of nine families of bees, while obligate behaviour is known in four families and evolved independently at least 19 times. The light intensity under which bees forage varies by a factor of 10(8), and therefore the evolution of dim-light foraging represents the invasion of a new, extreme niche. The repeated evolution of dim-light foraging behaviour in bees allows tests of the hypothesis that behaviour acts as an evolutionary pacemaker. With the exception of one species of Apis, facultative dim-light foragers show no ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2007848 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2007848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2007847&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19046402%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Houlbrèque F, Ferrier-Pagès C Abstract The dual character of corals, that they are both auto- and heterotrophs, was recognized early in the twentieth Century. It is generally accepted that the symbiotic association between corals and their endosymbiotic algae (called zooxanthellae) is fundamental to the development of coral reefs in oligotrophic tropical oceans because zooxanthellae transfer the major part of their photosynthates to the coral host (autotrophic nutrition). However, numerous studies have confirmed that many species of corals are also active heterotrophs, ingesting organisms ranging from bacteria to mesozooplankton. Heterotrophy accounts for between 0 and 66% of the fixed carbon incorporated into coral skeletons and can meet from 15 to 35% of daily meta... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2007847 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2007847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1993365&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19032595%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Heino J, Virkkala R, Toivonen H Abstract Current rates of climate change are unprecedented, and biological responses to these changes have also been rapid at the levels of ecosystems, communities, and species. Most research on climate change effects on biodiversity has concentrated on the terrestrial realm, and considerable changes in terrestrial biodiversity and species' distributions have already been detected in response to climate change. The studies that have considered organisms in the freshwater realm have also shown that freshwater biodiversity is highly vulnerable to climate change, with extinction rates and extirpations of freshwater species matching or exceeding those suggested for better-known terrestrial taxa. There is some evidence that freshwater species have ex... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1993365 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1993365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1977068&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19016672%26dopt%3DAbstract We present new methods (and software) to extract food-independent parameter values of the energy budget from food-dependent quantities that are easy to observe, and so facilitate the practical application of the theory to enhance predictability and extrapolation. A natural sequence of 10 steps is discussed to obtain some compound parameters first, then the primary parameters, then the composition parameters and finally the thermodynamic parameters; this sequence matches a sequence of required data of increasing complexity which is discussed in detail. Many applications do not require knowledge of all parameters, and we discuss methods to extrapolate parameters from one species to another. The conversion of mass, volume and energy measures of biomass is discussed; these conversions are not ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1977068 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1977068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906865&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18947335%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pepper JW, Herron MD Among biologists, there is no general agreement on exactly what entities qualify as 'organisms'. Instead, there are multiple competing organism concepts and definitions. While some authors think this is a problem that should be corrected, others have suggested that biology does not actually need an organism concept. We argue that the organism concept is central to biology and should not be abandoned. Both organism concepts and operational definitions are useful. We review criteria used for recognizing organisms and conclude that they are not categorical but rather continuously variable. Different organism concepts are useful for addressing different questions, and it is important to be explicit about which is being used. Finally, we examine the origins of ... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906865 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906864&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18947336%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nowak EM, Theimer TC, Schuett GW Snakes typically are not considered top carnivores, yet in many ecosystems they are a major predatory influence. A literature search confirmed that terrestrial ectotherms such as snakes are largely absent in most discussions of predator-prey dynamics. Here, we review classical functional and numerical responses of predator-prey relationships and then assess whether these traditional views are consistent with what we know of one group of snakes (true vipers and pitvipers: Viperidae). Specifically, we compare behavioural and physiological characteristics of vipers with those of more commonly studied mammalian (endothermic) predators and discuss how functional and numerical responses of vipers are fundamentally different. Overall, when compared to... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906864 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906863&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18947337%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fröbisch NB Two different patterns of the condensation and chondrification of the limbs of tetrapods are known from extensive studies on their early skeletal development. These are on the one hand postaxial dominance in the sequential formation of skeletal elements in amniotes and anurans, and on the other, preaxial dominance in urodeles. The present study investigates the relative sequence of ossification in the fore- and hindlimbs of selected tetrapod taxa based on a literature survey in comparison to the patterns of early skeletal development, i.e. mesenchymal condensation and chondrification, representing essential steps in the late stages of tetrapod limb development. This reveals the degree of conservation and divergence of the ossification sequence from early morph... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906863 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1906863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841933&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18823390%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fenchel T, Finlay B Abstract Oxygen has two faces. On one side it is the terminal electron acceptor of aerobic respiration - the most efficient engine of energy metabolism. On the other hand, oxygen is toxic because the reduction of molecular O(2) creates reactive oxygen species such as the superoxide anion, peroxide, and the hydroxyl radical. Probably most prokaryotes, and virtually all eukaryotes, depend on oxygen respiration, and we show that the ambiguous relation to oxygen is both an evolutionary force and a dominating factor driving functional interactions and the spatial structure of microbial communities.We focus on microbial communities that are specialised for life in concentration gradients of oxygen, where they acquire the full panoply of specific requirements from... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841933 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1841933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841932&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18823391%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lesne A Abstract The term robustness is encountered in very different scientific fields, from engineering and control theory to dynamical systems to biology. The main question addressed herein is whether the notion of robustness and its correlates (stability, resilience, self-organisation) developed in physics are relevant to biology, or whether specific extensions and novel frameworks are required to account for the robustness properties of living systems. To clarify this issue, the different meanings covered by this unique term are discussed; it is argued that they crucially depend on the kind of perturbations that a robust system should by definition withstand. Possible mechanisms underlying robust behaviours are examined, either encountered in all natural systems (symmetri... Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841932 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1841932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841931&cid=s_37598_62_f&fid=37598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18823392%26dopt%3DAbstract We present hypotheses of the development of serpentine endemism and a description of functional traits of serpentine plants together with a synthesis of species interactions in serpentine soils and their effects on community structure and ecosystem productivity. In addition, we propose hypotheses about the effects of the 'serpentine syndrome' on ecosystem processes including productivity and decomposition. PMID: 18823392 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society) Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841931 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1841931